Wellington Water and Trash Rate Increases 2026-27 Explained

Why Your Wellington Water and Trash Bills Are Going Up

If your Wellington water bill or trash assessment looks a little higher this year, here's why. In August 2026, the Village Council voted 4-1 to raise the solid waste assessment by $5 per unit and increase water and wastewater bills by an average of $4.79 a month, to keep up with the trash contract and pay for an $11.5 million utility improvement plan. Village staff call it the cost of safe water and reliable service. One council member called it the wrong time to ask residents for more. Here's what changed and what both sides said.

Wellington's 2026-27 rate changes at a glance

Trash: Solid waste assessment up $5 per curbside unit and per containerized unit
Water and sewer: Average increase of $4.79 a month on water and wastewater bills
Unchanged: Acme Improvement District ($275 per unit) and Saddle Trail Park Neighborhood Improvement District ($1,720.54 per acre)
What it raises: About $1.87 million in additional utility revenue
The vote: 4-1 on Aug. 11, 2026, with Councilman Johnny Meier opposed

Why the rates went up

Trash: Wellington's solid waste contract with FCC Environmental Services rose 4.44 percent this year, the Town-Crier reported. Staff said the $5 increase fully funds the contract and restores a fund balance, and that residents should expect moderate annual increases going forward. Solid waste revenue totals $8.1 million this year, up about $273,000.

Water and sewer: the increase helps fund an $11.5 million utility capital plan:

$4.3 million for water supply improvements
$3.4 million for the water treatment system
$2.05 million for the water reclamation facility
$1.75 million for wastewater force main improvements

Separately, Wellington is replacing residential water meters with wireless smart meters over the next 12 to 18 months, at no direct charge to customers, according to the village.

The case for the increases

Basic services come first. "You expect safe drinking water, you expect your trash to be picked up and you expect stormwater protection in Florida," Deputy Village Manager Tanya Quickel said.
Planning ahead. Quickel said the projects prioritize rehabilitation and replacement, continue the move to membrane water treatment "to stay ahead of future regulations," and use value engineering, deferrals and state revolving loan funding to manage costs.
Protecting reserves. "People are very unhappy if your utilities don't work properly," Mayor Michael Napoleone said. "If you start drawing down on your reserves, and there's an emergency or something else, we're going to be in huge financial trouble."
Few alternatives. Quickel said the village doesn't have fund balances to hold rates flat, and that cutting capital projects could cost more in the long run.

The case against

Everything already costs more. "I'm very reluctant to increase pricing for anybody, for any reason at this point, because of how dark things look out there for everything that people are buying," said Councilman Johnny Meier, who ran on lowering costs and voted no on all four rates.
Residents are pushing back. "I have heard from a lot of residents that they don't want to pay more for their water, they don't want us to say yes to the increase, and they do not want us to say yes to a solid waste increase," Councilwoman Amanda Silvestri said, before asking what would happen if the council said no.
Look elsewhere first. Meier asked whether other revenue sources or reserves could cover the costs instead of raising rates.
It adds up. These increases come on top of a property tax rate the council kept flat while home values rose. Read more in why Wellington didn't lower its tax rate.

What it means for your bill

For a typical household, the average water and sewer change of $4.79 a month works out to about $57 more a year, though your exact increase depends on how much water you use. The solid waste assessment rises by $5 per unit. For questions about your account, the village's Utilities Department is at wellingtonfl.gov/utilities.

What do you think?

Are modest rate increases the responsible way to keep Wellington's water and trash service reliable, or should the village have found the money elsewhere this year? For more on Wellington's budget choices, see the county ballot questions on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Frequently asked questions

How much did Wellington water bills go up?

Water and wastewater bills rose by an average of $4.79 a month for the 2026-27 fiscal year, approved by the Village Council on Aug. 11, 2026.

Did Wellington raise its trash assessment?

Yes. The solid waste assessment went up $5 per curbside unit and per containerized unit to fully fund the village's contract with FCC Environmental Services, which rose 4.44 percent.

What will the water rate increase pay for?

An $11.5 million utility capital plan, including $4.3 million for water supply, $3.4 million for water treatment, $2.05 million for the water reclamation facility and $1.75 million for wastewater force mains.

Did the Acme Improvement District assessment change?

No. The Acme Improvement District assessment stayed at $275 per unit.